Regional Director, Senior Pursuits and Marketing

Job Description Summary:

At Swinerton, the Strategic Pursuits team plays a pivotal role in driving business growth and success through the development of pursuit strategies, capture planning, and the creation of compelling proposals and marketing materials that differentiate the company from its competitors, enhancing its chances of winning projects.

Leveraging expertise in branding, content creation, stakeholder engagement, and project management, the Marketing Pursuits team collaborates with pursuit teams (internal and external) to align client needs with the company's capabilities, securing the best opportunities for the organization aligned with strategic objectives.

As a Regional Director, Strategic Pursuits and Marketing, you will play a key role in driving strategic growth and success within your designated region.

Your responsibilities will span a wide spectrum of work acquisition strategy and support activities, all aimed at enhancing the firm's market presence, capturing new opportunities, and fostering long-term client relationships.

At the heart of your role lies the strategic development of regional initiatives in support of the identification and pursuit of new work, and the promotion of our people and projects.

You will lead the strategy conversation and develop comprehensive tactics tailored to the unique characteristics and opportunities within your region, involving the analysis of CRM data and external market trends, the identification of competitor activities, the development of targeted assets to enhance our pursuits, the application of lessons learned from debriefs and previous pursuits, and an assessment of client needs to identify unique priorities and opportunities in full alignment with strategic growth goals.

Pursuit management is a cornerstone of your responsibilities.

You will oversee the strategic pursuit of key projects and clients, working closely with business development teams and/or seller-doer executives to identify and prioritize opportunities, develop winning strategies, and coordinate the creation of compelling proposals and presentations that showcase the firm's expertise and capabilities.

When you are not personally involved in the region's highest priority pursuits, your leadership in this area includes thorough reviews of all regional pursuit marketing materials, proposals, and presentations to ensure accuracy, consistency, professionalism, and alignment with brand standards and client expectations.

Your meticulous attention to detail and commitment to excellence will elevate the firm's reputation and credibility in the marketplace.

Your guidance will empower team members to excel in their roles and contribute to the firm's overall success.

And your leadership will support the team's growth and development – building and nurturing a high-performing pursuit management team, providing mentorship, training, and support to enhance their skills and effectiveness in securing new work for the company.

As an extension of (and in support of) pursuit management, you will be a key liaison for external communications.

You will develop strategies unique to your assigned region and/or division(s) to engage with key stakeholders, including clients, partners, industry associations, and the media, and work collaboratively with the company's Strategic Communications team who will ultimately implement all external communications efforts.

Through the development of strategic thought leadership initiatives, digital marketing campaigns, and targeted communication efforts, you will enhance the firm's visibility and reputation as a trusted leader in the AEC industry and, more specifically, within your designated region.

This role requires a seasoned professional with the ability to think strategically, a holistic understanding of our core business activities (as well as the overall AEC industry), an intimate understanding of the total pursuit lifecycle, a strong grasp of how communications strategies support the acquisition of work, and the ability to turn data and analytics into actionable strategies to support regional growth.

It is also critical to possess proven capabilities managing complex teams and strong interpersonal skills that serve as a catalyst to positive interactions, teamwork, and a harmonious working relationship with others throughout the organization.

Key Responsibilities:Strategic Thinking + Partnership:

Active engagement and collaboration with regional/divisional leadership; viewed and sought out as a strategic partner to the business.

Active participation in all regional/divisional business development and opportunity review/identification/update meetings, or regional leadership meetings, where opportunities are reviewed, and strategies are discussed and developed collaboratively.

Develop and maintain a complete understanding of the regional and/or divisional opportunity pipeline, i.e., markets, clients, opportunities, etc., and the associated timing of all in support of strategic growth goals.

Develop client success or relationship plans, as required, as new clients are identified; support the implementation of the plans, as required.

Active participation in go/no-go decisions; serve as the Marketing voice/viewpoint ranging from ability to be competitive to resource needs and availability.

Capture Planning + Pursuit Strategy Development:

Play a leadership role in prioritizing capture planning by providing strategic direction, fostering collaboration, and ensuring alignment with the firm's business objectives.

Work closely with Division Managers, business development teams (or seller-doer executives, as applicable), market sector leaders, etc. to translate pursuit strategies into actionable plans.

This involves facilitating cross-functional collaboration between marketing, business development, technical, and project management teams involved in capture planning; bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise to develop comprehensive plans that address client requirements and differentiate the firm from competitors.

Lead discussions on resource allocation, including budget, personnel, and technology, to support capture planning efforts.

Ensure resources are allocated effectively to pursue high-potential opportunities and maximize the firm's chances of success.

Contribute to the development of pursuit strategies by providing insights and expertise on market trends, client needs, and competitive landscape within your region.

Your understanding of local market dynamics, client preferences, evaluation and decision-making processes, competitor trends and activities, etc. to inform the overall pursuit strategy.

Identify potential risks and uncertainties that may impact capture planning efforts and develop strategies to mitigate these risks.

Anticipate challenges and proactively address them to increase the likelihood of success in pursuing opportunities.

Pursuit Management:

Lead a team of pursuit management professionals in support of the regional/divisional opportunity pipeline; take an active/personal role in all regional/divisional pursuits, as well as a hands-on leadership role in the highest priority pursuits.

Oversee the development of high-quality proposals, qualifications packages, and presentations that effectively communicate the firm's capabilities, value proposition, and differentiation; serve both as a contributor and coach.

Engage with key stakeholders, including clients, partners, and internal teams, to gather input, address concerns, and build consensus around proposal development strategies.

Foster strong relationships and communication channels to facilitate collaboration and alignment throughout the process.

Provide strategic input to ensure that proposals are tailored to meet client requirements, address key decision criteria, and align with the firm's overall pursuit strategy; serve both as a contributor and coach.

Ensure strong presentation/interview planning and execution by coaching the team through preparation and rehearsals, leading the development of clear storylines/engaging visuals, anticipating questions, and coordinating logistics; serve both as a contributor and coach.

Facilitate post-pursuit debriefs and lessons learned sessions to capture feedback and insights for continuous improvement.

This includes identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for enhancement in pursuit strategy, process, and execution to inform future pursuits and increase win rates.

Accountable for ensuring 100% of regional proposals are closed out in alignment with our established Proposal Closeout process.

Quality Control and Review:

Ensure that all marketing materials produced by the regional pursuit team meets the company's quality standards.

This could include brochures, presentations, proposals, and other materials generated in support of the acquisition of work.

Ensure consistency in branding across all pursuit materials; continuously review all content to ensure it aligns with the company's brand guidelines and messaging.

Review content for accuracy, completeness, and relevance, and adherence to the company's Writing Style Guide, including all pursuit content, project descriptions, and other content generated by the team to ensure it meets the needs of the target audience and accurately represents the company's capabilities.

Initial responsibility to review and confirm cross-functional requirements, i.e., risk, legal, compliance, etc. prior to engaging interdepartmental partners; create efficiencies by serving as the first line of defense.

Collect feedback from internal stakeholders and partners, analyze performance metrics, and identify areas for improvement in marketing materials and processes for continuous improvement.

Regional External Communications Strategy Development:

Work collaboratively with the Strategic Communications team who has ultimate accountability for the execution of all the company's external communications activities, without exception.

Regional liaison responsible for the development of external communications strategies to engage with key stakeholders, including clients, partners, industry associations, and the media in support of regional/divisional business plan goals.

Develop specific concepts for thought leadership initiatives, digital marketing campaigns, and targeted communication efforts in support of strategic goals to enhance the firm's visibility and reputation as a trusted leader in the AEC industry, and specifically within your designated region.

Focus on strategic initiatives that support a specific strategic goal or purpose.

Team Growth + Development:

Lead, mentor, and empower a team of professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous growth.

Develop and implement strategies to optimize team performance, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and fostering a high-performance environment.

Provide direction and guidance to team members, setting clear goals, objectives, and expectations to drive individual and collective success.

Conduct regular performance evaluations, provide constructive feedback, and identify opportunities for skill development and career advancement.

Cultivate a supportive and inclusive work environment, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the team.

Proactively identify challenges and opportunities for improvement within the team, implementing solutions and process enhancements to drive efficiency and effectiveness.

Serve as a role model for professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct, upholding organizational values and fostering a positive work culture.

Foster a culture of innovation and continuous learning, encouraging creativity, experimentation, and knowledge sharing among team members.

Manage difficult situations/conversations, resolution of team challenges.

Proactively identify and recruit new talent.

Enterprise Mindset:

Active participation as a member of the company's national marketing leadership helping to identify and promote key initiatives, knowledge sharing/best practices, and processes for continuous improvement.

Accountable to promote and ensure compliance with all national/corporate initiatives to promote maximum consistency, efficiency, and agility; support the development, maintenance, and implementation/use of best practices for process, content, templates, etc.

Accountable to provide support for national efforts for data capture, as necessary, in various areas, i.e., regional project data, regional personnel, regional sustainability certifications, etc.

Actively seek out solutions to challenges that affect the entire organization, rather than just focusing on local/regional issues. This might involve thinking creatively, leveraging resources from different offices, and being willing to experiment with new approaches.

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